ALLOW CITIES & COUNTIES TO SUPPLEMENT THE STATE’S MINIMUM WAGE TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF MILLIONS OF LOW-WAGE WORKERS IN NEW YORK

New Yorkers overwhelmingly support raising wages, with good reason: the state has the highest level of income inequality in the nation, with roughly 3 million low-wage workers now calling New York home.

Cities and counties in other states across the U.S. have sought to combat wage stagnation and boost their economies by supplementing their state minimum wage with higher local minimum wages.

RaiseUpNY (S.6516 Stewart-Cousins/A.9036 Camara) aims to lift workers out of poverty by empowering localities in New York to enact higher local wages better suited to regional living costs. It amends New York’s minimum wage law to clarify that it is a floor not a ceiling, and does not prohibit localities from raising wages on their own.

Millions of New Yorkers Don’t Earn Enough to Support Their Families and Put Money Back into the Economy

Roughly 3 million workers – 37% of New York’s workforce – earn less than $15 an hour.
Thirty-six percent of adults earn less than $15 an hour; 40% women earn less than $15 an hour, and 28% of workers with at least some college education earn less than $15 an hour.

Many of the New Jobs Being Created in New York State Pay Less than $10 an hour, With Job Growth Disproportionately Concentrated in Low-Wage Industries

New job growth in New York State, like in the rest of the country, remains disproportionately concentrated in low-wage industries like retail and food services.

Median wages in many of these low-wage occupations are around or less than $10 an hour, including retail ($10.80), cashiers ($9.08), fast-food ($8.80) and waiters/waitresses ($9.19).

Wages are flat and declining, particularly for low-wage workers. Between 2002 and 2012, wages were flat or declined for the bottom 60% of the American workforce. For the typical New York worker, median wages have dropped by almost 7% for men and 1% for women in the last decade.

New York’s Minimum Wage – Even at $9 by 2016 – Isn’t Enough in High-Cost Areas to Afford the Basics

New York’s minimum wage of $9 an hour by 2016 – which translates to just $18,720 a year for a full-time worker – is not nearly enough to meet basic living costs, especially in high-cost areas of the state.

The new minimum wage will still leave a family of three below the federal poverty line – itself an inadequate measure of what it truly costs to support a family. It far below what the state’s minimum wage would be – $11.11 an hour – had it simply kept pace with inflation over the last 40 years.

New York’s new minimum wage is below what other states have recently passed or are pushing to enact. California recently raised its minimum wage to $10 by 2016 and is now pushing to raise it to $13, Governors O’Malley and Malloy in Maryland and Connecticut have called for raising their states’ minimum wage above $10, and states like Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Hawaii are pushing similar increases.

In States from California to Maryland, Cities and Counties Are Using Higher Local Minimum Wages to Fight Poverty

Many states do not restrict local wage powers in the way that New York does. Cities and counties that have enacted higher minimum wages in recent years include San Francisco ($10.74), Santa Fe ($10.51), San Jose ($10.15), Washington D.C. ($11.50 by 2017), Montgomery County, MD ($11.50 by 2017), Prince Georges County, MD ($11.50 by 2017) and SeaTac, WA ($15 for airport related jobs).

As national momentum grows for improving wages and jobs grows, more cities and counties across the country are moving to enact higher local minimum wages. These include Seattle, San Francisco Chicago, San Diego, Oakland, Portland, ME, Las Cruces, NM, among others.

Higher Local Wages Have Improved Jobs and City Economies, Without Hurting Business

The higher local minimum wage laws in cities like San Francisco, Santa Fe and Washington, D.C. have been the subject of several different studies. All have found that these laws have boosted wages without any evidence of slowed job growth or business relocations.

The best economic research over the past 20 years shows raising the minimum wage boosts pay without causing job losses – even in regions where the economy is weak or unemployment is high.

Businesses can afford to pay a higher minimum wage. Most of America’s largest low-wage employers have recovered from the recession and are in a strong financial position, with corporate profits in many cases even higher than they were pre-recession. And many small businesses already pay wages higher than the minimum wage: a scientific national poll of small business owners in 2013 found that a sweeping majority – 85 percent – paid all of their employees above the federal minimum wage.

Voters Overwhelmingly Support Raising Wages; View It as Critical for Addressing Inequality

A January 2014 poll by Pew Research Center and USA Today found that 73% of Americans support raising the federal minimum wage, including a majority (53%) of Republicans.

A December 2013 poll by the Washington Post and ABC News found that two-thirds of Americans supported raising the minimum wage, with a majority of voters responding that the government should pursue policies to address economic inequality.
A July 2013 poll by Hart Research Associates found that 80% of Americans, including 62% of Republicans, support raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, and 74% of Americans consider raising the minimum wage to be an important legislative priority for Congress to address.

GOING ON THE OFFENSE FOR AN AMERICA AND A NEW YORK THAT WORKS FOR ALL OF US

The Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc. is encouraging its members, supporters, and allies to join us for this important meeting. Rides are available from Utica by calling 315-725-0974.

Goals for the Meeting:
Develop a proactive agenda for the 2014 election & legislative season

Begin to develop teams, communication and loose networks in each region of the state

Messaging a “unifying narrative” that frames all of our issue work going forward

Identifying key areas of the state to focus our efforts and move our issues in Congress and the State Legislature this year
·
Identifying key areas where we need to engage candidates and voters this fall in order to advance our issues.

Special Guest:
Richard Kirsch Senior Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, a Senior Adviser to USAction, Will lead a discussion-” Where we go from here” – What is the correct economic narrative and messaging to begin a proactive Fight for our Families in the 2014 Election and legislative season

Other speakers from- Americans for Tax Justice Washington DC, NYS AFL/CIO – Making NY Work, Social Security Works Campaign, Strong for All NY

MAY DAY VIGIL FOR FAIR AND LIVING WAGES ON THURSDAY, MAY 1

A coalition of local groups will be sponsoring the “Fight for Fifteen” May Day Vigil for Fair and Living Wages on Thursday, May 1 between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. on the public sidewalk on 100 block North Genesee Street (across the street from the Hess Gas Station), Utica.

“We are holding this event to press for a higher minimum wage, improved wages for food service, child care, and hospitality workers, and living wages for all workers,” said Brendan Dunn, one of the organizers for the event. “We are joining with countless people across the country to demand a $15/hour minimum wage. This is a new movement that has gained considerable momentum in Seattle and has its roots in the recent upsurge of fast food worker organizing. May Day is internationally recognized as Labor Day and has its roots in the US. In recent years it has been revived by the immigrant rights and labor movements.”

Over three million workers in New York–37 percent of the state’s labor force–work in low-wage jobs that pay less than $15 per hour, according to a 2014 report by the National Employment Law Project and the Fiscal Policy Institute. Census data show that workers of color in New York are disproportionately concentrated in low-wage jobs, with 49 percent of Hispanic workers and 48 percent of black workers throughout the state holding jobs that pay less than $15 per hour.

Two out of three (66 percent) small business owners in New York think cities and counties should have the authority to set their own minimum wage rates above the state level, according to a new poll released by Small Business Majority. The poll signals broad levels of support among small businesses for legislation introduced this year (S. 6516/A. 9036) by State Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assemblyman Karim Camara that would grant localities in New York the authority to set their own minimum wage rates.

The poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, found that 77 percent of small business owners in New York support setting the minimum wage above the state’s current rate of $8 per hour, as well as indexing the minimum wage to rise each year with the cost of living. The respondents were predominately Republican–with 45 percent of small business owners identifying as Republican, 40 percent as Democrat and 15 percent as independent or other.

The event is free and open to the public. Local co-sponsors include Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc., IWW, Mohawk Valley Freedom School, Occupy Utica, and MoveOn. For more information or transportation, please contact John Furman 315-725-0974, cnycitizenaction@gmail.com/Brendan Dunn 315-240-3149, maslauskas84@gmail.com.
For event details, please refer to https://cnycitizenaction.wordpress.com or https://www.facebook.com/events/598887090224476/ . Follow events on ‪#FightFor15 ‪#15Now #FightFor15CNY.

On Sunday, May 4, an 11-day-long statewide peaking tour will stop in Utica to draw attention to the plight of immigrant dairy farmworkers and to build support for the Justice for Dairy Farmworkers campaign. A presentation entitled “Dairy Farm Workers Organizing for Justice” will be given at 7 p.m. at the Cornerstone Community Church, 500 Plant Street, Utica. The church is located on Oneida Square. The event is free and open to the public. Local co-sponsors include Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc., IWW, Mohawk Valley Freedom School, Occupy Utica, Workers Center of Central NY, Working Families Party, and MoveOn. For more information, please see http://www.workerscentercny.org.

The tour coincides with Workers’ Memorial Day (April 28th), May Day (May 1st) and Farmworker Advocacy Day (May 5th). The featured speaker on the tour is Jose Cañas, an immigrant farmworker from El Salvador who has worked on upstate dairy farms for over three years. He will be taking 11 days off of work, unpaid, to be part of the speaking tour. He will be joined by other immigrant dairy farmworkers and Rebecca Fuentes, the daughter of a farmworker from Mexico and the lead organizer of the Syracuse-based Workers’ Center of Central New York, and Carly Fox, organizer with the Worker Justice Center of New York.

The dairy industry is New York’s leading agricultural sector and New York is a leading dairy producer in the nation. In fact, in 2012, New York became the country’s number one producer of yogurt. This boom in dairy production, however, has come at a significant cost to the workers whose labor has made it all possible. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there have been 55 fatalities on dairy farms in New York State since 2006.

As Jose Cañas explains, ”The goals [of the tour] are to denounce the social injustice that is happening to us. The oppression we feel at work is something that exists towards Latinos on all farms. The key to success is to make ourselves more powerful, the labor force, us Latinos…” Cañas has directly witnessed or suffered accidents and injuries due to employer negligence, nightly fevers due to indecent housing and depression from social isolation.

“Our goal, like Jose expresses it, is to denounce the injustices that workers are going through, but also to organize to improve the conditions,” Fuentes said. “We have already accomplished a lot, by organizing delegations of workers to meet with OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) to speak up about unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions.” These efforts were the catalyst for OSHA’s implementation of a local emphasis program that will, for the first time, include unannounced inspections on dairy farms throughout the state.

NEXT MOVIE IN SOLUTIONS: LOCAL RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE SERIES

Kirkland in Transition presents the movie End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream (78 min.), at the Kirkland Town Library, 55 1/2 College St., Clinton, NY, on Monday, May 5, at 6:30pm, and Wednesday, May 7, at 3:00. End of Suburbia is the third in a series of movies exploring ways of increasing local resilience and sustainability. We will have two showings, each one followed by discussion. For more information contact:kirklandintransition@gmail.com. Admission free!

“With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply” (IMDB). Since End of Suburbia was made in 2004, some of its predictions have come true and some have been overtaken by events, but its message is still a valuable one, and it gives a good grounding in how we got to where we are and what the situation is with regard to suburban life and its dependence on fossil fuels. See http://www.endofsuburbia.com for more information and a preview of the movie.

The movie series, Solutions: Local Responses to Climate Change, is sponsored by Kirkland in Transition, part of a movement to envision and work towards a future of interdependence and cooperation, creating a resilient local community that will grow more of its own food, generate more of its own power, build houses using local materials, and move towards sustainable transportation, economy, and ways of life. http://www.facebook.com/ClintoninTransition

Administrative Assistant seeking long term employment with a successful & friendly company. I have several years of experience with performing office duties and assisting the public in person and over the phone. I am very knowledgeable with computers and different Windows software programs. I have a very enthusiastic and friendly personality and like to work together as part of a team. Please contact Nichole Dicks at (315)894-3436 for more information. My email address is: nicholedicks@unseen.is

Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc. was developed from the Utica Citizens in Action, a multi-issue public interest association affiliated with Citizen Action of New York. It was founded in 1997 to address critical social, economic and environmental issues facing residents of Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison Counties. Members of our group worked to empower low and moderate income Central New York residents to participate in shaping the policies that affect their lives, such as economic justice, environment, housing, education, economic development, health care, public benefit programs, and consumer issues. Our projects include research and policy development, public education on a wide range of public policy issues, development of educational materials, community outreach and grassroots organizing, coalition development, training, and lobbying. Please join our email list by sending an email to cnycitizenaction@gmail.comwith the subject heading – Join List. We also invite you to become a member of our group and attend our meetings.

“Fight for Fifteen” May Day Vigil for Fair and Living Wages Slated for May 1

A coalition of local groups will be sponsoring the “Fight for Fifteen” May Day Vigil for Fair and Living Wages on Thursday, May 1 between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. on the public sidewalk on 100 block North Genesee Street (across the street from the Hess Gas Station), Utica.

“We are holding this event to press for a higher minimum wage, improved wages for food service, child care, and hospitality workers, and living wages for all workers,” said Brendan Dunn, one of the organizers for the event. “We are joining with countless people across the country to demand a $15/hour minimum wage. This is a new movement that has gained considerable momentum in Seattle and has its roots in the recent upsurge of fast food worker organizing. May Day is internationally recognized as Labor Day and has its roots in the US. In recent years it has been revived by the immigrant rights and labor movements.”

Over three million workers in New York–37 percent of the state’s labor force–work in low-wage jobs that pay less than $15 per hour, according to a 2014 report by the National Employment Law Project and the Fiscal Policy Institute. Census data show that workers of color in New York are disproportionately concentrated in low-wage jobs, with 49 percent of Hispanic workers and 48 percent of black workers throughout the state holding jobs that pay less than $15 per hour.

Two out of three (66 percent) small business owners in New York think cities and counties should have the authority to set their own minimum wage rates above the state level, according to a new poll released by Small Business Majority. The poll signals broad levels of support among small businesses for legislation introduced this year (S. 6516/A. 9036) by State Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assemblyman Karim Camara that would grant localities in New York the authority to set their own minimum wage rates.

The poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, found that 77 percent of small business owners in New York support setting the minimum wage above the state’s current rate of $8 per hour, as well as indexing the minimum wage to rise each year with the cost of living. The respondents were predominately Republican–with 45 percent of small business owners identifying as Republican, 40 percent as Democrat and 15 percent as independent or other.

The event is free and open to the public. Local co-sponsors include Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc., IWW, Mohawk Valley Freedom School, Occupy Utica, and MoveOn. For more information or transportation, please contact John Furman 315-725-0974, cnycitizenaction@gmail.com/Brendan Dunn 315-240-3149, maslauskas84@gmail.com.

Kirkland in Transition presents the movie In Transition 2.0 at the Kirkland Town Library, 55 1/2 College St., Clinton, NY, on Monday, April 21, at 6:30pm, and Tuesday, April 22 (Earth Day!), at 3:00. In Transition 2.0 is the second in a series of movies exploring ways of increasing local resilience and sustainability. We will have two showings, each one followed by discussion. For more information contact: kirklandintransition@gmail.com. Admission free!

In Transition 2.0 is an inspirational immersion in the Transition movement, gathering stories from around the world of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. You’ll hear about communities printing their own money, growing food, localising their economies and setting up community power stations. It’s an idea that has gone viral, a social experiment that is about responding to uncertain times with solutions and optimism. In a world of increasing uncertainty, here is a story of hope, ingenuity and the power of growing vegetables in unexpected places.

The film captures stories of Transition from around the world. You’ll hear about Transition Wayland in the US, and their very first meeting, how Transition Moss Side in Manchester have sought to raise awareness and engage the community by knocking on the area’s front doors, the amazing community visioning work of Aldeia das Amoreiras Sustent·vel (sustainable village of Amoreiras) in Portugal, how the Whitney Avenue Urban Farm in Pittsburgh has had a remarkable impact on the people around them, how Transition Kensal to Kilburn have set up the first food garden on a London underground station and how Transition Town Tooting’s Trashcatchers Carnival, London was aremarkable and very memorable celebration of community and of taking care of the Earth.

You’ll hear about the difficulties of doing Transition too, with the story of how Transition City Lancaster initially fell apart due to conflict but has since risen from the ashes and is now busy with a range of projects, and how Transition groups in London come together to support each other so as to minimise burnout. You’ll hear the story of Transition Monteveglio in Bologna, Italy and their very successful collaboration with the local council and a ground-breaking resolution, committing the council to deep sustainability and resilience-building. There’s Transition Streets from Totnes in Devon which works street-by-street, getting people together to meet, form new connections, and reduce their carbon footprints.

And then there are the emerging social enterprises, The Green Valley Grocer in Slaithwaite, Yorkshire whichraised shares from the community to take over the local grocers which was closing down, The Handmade Bakery, also in Slaithwaite, a really innovative model for how a young couple can set up a vibrant new business. They also make exquisite bread. There’s The Fujino Power Company, Japan, where, following the devastating tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, members of Transition Fujino responded by setting up a community energy company, with the intention of powering their whole valley using renewable energy. There’s The Lewes community solar power station, in Sussex which was funded by over £300,000 raised in community shares, and the Brixton Pound in London, thelocal complementary currency which can be spent in the area of Brixton in London with local traders – ‘money that sticks to Brixton’. We join them on the night they celebrate launching the UK’s first mobile phone-based complimentary currency.

We visit Heal the Soil CSA in Auroville, India, who help people start up small vegetable gardens in the rural villages of India, providing seeds and permaculture training in order to help them get started growing food, and Project Lyttelton in New Zealand, who employ Transition as one of the tools for their work building community resilience. When the recent earthquakes struck Lyttelton, the value of their work, especially its Time Bank, became apparent.

The movie series, Solutions: Local Responses to Climate Change, is sponsored by Kirkland in Transition, part of a movement to envision and work towards a future of interdependence and cooperation, creating a resilient local community that will grow more of its own food, generate more of its own power, build houses using local materials, and move towards sustainable transportation, economy, and ways of life. The website http://www.transitionnetwork.org/press describes the movement as “a community-led response to climate change and shrinking supplies of cheap energy, building resilience and happiness. It is an idea about the future, an optimistic, practical idea. It is self-organizing and people-led, supporting the creation of communities that are more resilient, entrepreneurial, connected, equitable and engaged. And it’s fun.”

On April 7, after three earlier failed attempts, the Senate passed the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2014 (H.R. 3979) to restore unemployment insurance for the long-term unemployed. The vote was 59-38. Six Republican Senators including Ayotte (NH), Collins (ME), Heller (NV), Kirk (IL), Murkowski (AK) and Portman (OH) joined Democrats and Independents in support of the legislation. The 5-month fully paid-for bill would assist 2.3 million workers and their families as they search for work. Many of these families have urgent needs and are desperate for the House to act soon.

Immediately after Senate passage, Representative Dan Kildee (D-MI), who has been a leader in pressing Speaker Boehner for a vote in the House, introduced an identical companion bill to H.R. 3979. Democrats believe that the Senate-passed bill, if allowed to reach the floor, would pass. Speaker Boehner thus far has refused to bring a bill to increase unemployment insurance to the floor even as his excuses have been addressed – the Senate bill is paid for, it does create jobs (200,000 according the Congressional Budget Office), and he has been assured by the Secretary of Labor that state agencies that retroactively restarted the program at other times can do so again.

A group of seven House Republicans (Representatives Frank LoBiondo (NJ), Peter King (NY), Jon Runyan (NJ), Chris Smith (NJ), Chris Gibson (NY), Michael Grimm (NY) and Joe Heck (NV)) have written a letter to Speaker Boehner urging him to take action. The letter reads in part, “Today, a bi-partisan deal was passed in the U.S. Senate that would retroactively restore unemployment benefits and extend these benefits for 5 months. As many Americans continue to struggle without benefits, we respectfully request that the House immediately consider this bill or a similar measure to restore unemployment benefits to struggling Americans.”

According to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in March 3.7 million people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (state insurance typically lasts 26 weeks), and they made up about 36 percent of the jobless workers.

Congress is on a two-week recess. When they return on April 29 it will be imperative that the House acts quickly to restore these urgently needed benefits for long-term unemployed workers.

Every Tuesday, we will be featuring two members of the House of Representatives for you to target on twitter to push the House to #RenewUI.

In 2000, an experimental court opened its doors in Red Hook, Brooklyn, a neighborhood plagued by a cycle of unemployment, poverty and crime. The Red Hook Community Justice Center (RHCJC) is at the center of a legal revolution: the community justice movement, which emphasizes neighborhood-focused problem solving and rehabilitation over punishment and doing time.

In collaboration with the Rosamond Gifford Foundation, ArtRage Gallery will screen films depicting community efforts to improve their communities and the world. The spring series of three films runs thru May 2014. Films were selected by a committee of community members and are shown twice on different weekdays followed by a facilitated discussion. All films are free to the public. No reservation is required.

– See more at: http://artragegallery.org/cat/films#sthash.zhLbQWro.dpuf
In 2000, an experimental court opened its doors in Red Hook, Brooklyn, a neighborhood plagued by a cycle of unemployment, poverty and crime. The Red Hook Community Justice Center (RHCJC) is at the center of a legal revolution: the community justice movement, which emphasizes neighborhood-focused problem solving and rehabilitation over punishment and doing time. – See more at: http://artragegallery.org/cat/films#sthash.zhLbQWro.dpuf. Admission is free.
Contact 218-5711. Contact the Central New York Citizens in Action if you would like to carpool to attend the event.

INTRODUCING THE ITHACA FRINGE FESTIVAL APRIL 24-27

I wanted to make you aware of Ithaca’s newest celebration — the Ithaca Fringe Festival, debuting next Thursday – Sunday, April 24-27 downtown! The venues are Community School of Music and Arts, Acting Out NY (in Center Ithaca), and Cinemapolis — all with a short walk of each other. Let’s organize a similar event in Utica/Central New York!!

Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland is the world’s best-known fringe, when tens of thousands of people descend on the city to see as many of the more than 2,500 performance pieces as they can in two weeks.

Ithaca’s won’t be quite that crazed! But it will be a lot of fun. Five shows, four venues, four days.

We bring exciting new theatre/dance/performance acts to our fair city and give these artists a chance to show their works to new audiences (while bringing in new audience to our fair city). And they get to keep all the box office revenue — a dream for artists! We’ve kept prices low so everyone can enjoy these five acts — two full-length plays, a butoh dance performance, a series of five one-acts, and a multi-genre piece.

Please join us for a good time, and help make history as we launch Ithaca’s newest festival, the first devoted to the performing arts!

A fringe is about more than just the performances, it’s about conversation, art, and building community. After the shows, come relax, enjoy some conversation, food and libations at the cash bar, and entertainment at “Fringe Central” — in the former Ticket Center space in Central Ithaca, where muralist Dan Burgevin is creating a beautiful new masterpiece.

On Friday, April 25, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. Cornhill Community for Change (CCC) will host the 11th Annual Mother Lavender Tribute at the DeSales Neighborhood Center 309 Genesee St., Utica, N. Y. The Mother Lavender Humanitarian Award will be presented to Sister Elizabeth Giarrusso. Keynote Speaker will be Rev. Dr. Mary Webster, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, New Hartford, N. Y. Mother Lavender is a Utica Icon, she was an Evangelist and Community Activist, who was born in slavery. She settled in Utica in 1892 with her husband and sons. The humanitarian efforts of Mother Lavender are legendary. She was committed to aiding the needy, both spiritually and materially. It was Mother Lavender’s conviction that no one should begin a New Year on an empty stomach. Starting in 1900 she hosted New Year’s Day dinners in her home to all who showed up. CCC feels that it is fitting to give this tribute to this Spiritual Woman of Compassion, Strength and Vision. The board also feels that it is indeed fitting that the recipient of the Humanitarian Award be Sister Elizabeth Giarruso, who certainly embodies the attributes of Mother Lavender. The event is free, however donations will be accepted. A traditional Mother Lavender meal consisting of soup and sandwiches will be served, there will be music, door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle. Copies of the book “I’ll See You In Heaven”, that chronicles the life of Mother Lavender, will be available. The book is written by Malio J. Cardarelli, a native Utica author.

Now in its second year, the premier collection of the international food, music and crafts showcasing what makes Utica the International City of Central New York… Food Sampling from Central New York’s local and international restaurants, a collection of artisans and craftsmen and demonstrations of dance, music and art that bring a world of culture into one place.

(Doors open at 1:30pm) Tucker Missionary Baptist Church, 515 Oakwood Ave
Activist and thinker Cornel West will be speaking in Syracuse on April 27th, as part of the National Days of Action Against Drones. His talk will focus on “Connecting the Dots: Racism, Poverty, and Drones,” and is organized by the Peace Council and Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars. Admission is free. RSVP and help us spread the word on Facebook.

Please contact the Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc. if you would like to car pool to attend the event.

On Sunday, April 27 at 2 pm (doors open at 1:30), renowned activist and scholar Cornel West will speak as part of the National Spring Days of Actions Against Drones. Admission is free. He will speak on “Connecting the Dots: Racism, Poverty and Drones.”
Immediately following his talk at 4:30, there will be a rally and permitted march to Hancock Air Base (where drones are piloted over Afghanistan and drone pilots and sensor operators are trained). Gather at the OCM BOCES parking lot (6820 Thompson Rd., Syracuse). The theme of the march is “People’s Orders of Protection Against Drone Terror.” This alludes to the needs of people around the world to be protected from drone attacks, as well as to the Orders of Protection severed to many activists who have participated in nonviolent civil resistance at the Base.

Both events are organized by the Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars with help from the Syracuse Peace Council, and co-sponsored by many groups throughout the region. For more details see http://www.upstatedroneaction.org.

For more details on either event, contact Carol – carol@peacecouncil.net or 315.472.5478

Statewide Tour on Poverty and Opportunity May 8

The Mohawk Valley Community Action, Inc. annual Community Champions luncheon is approaching quickly. It is scheduled for Thursday, May 8th at the Radisson Hotel. Dr. Randall VanWagoner, MVCC President is othe Honorary Chair. Prior to the luncheon we are coordinating a press conference at 11:00 to be held at Utica City Hall in partnership with the New York State Community Action Association’s Statewide Tour on Poverty and Opportunity.

Thee award recipients are:

Treva Wood Community Activist: Lucille Soldato, Commissioner of Oneida County Social Services

The event is shaping up to be a very exciting day! Please don’t forget to register and mark your calendars to help us celebrate 50 years of community action and participate in the State wide Poverty and Opportunity Tour!

For more information, please contact the Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency at (315) 624-9930

Utica College student groups Pi Sigma Alpha and The James Sherman Society welcome keynote speakers Ed Kinane and Ann Tiffany on Wednesday, April 9 for a forum titled “The Drones Are Coming: Why Central New York Should Care.”

The lecture will take place in the Willard Conference Room, DePerno Hall, at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public.

Kinane and Tiffany are both members of the Upstate Drone Action activist organization; they will speak about domestic and international aspects of the use of drones. The forum will focus on drones across the world by the United States military, significant civilian casualties resulting from drone attacks, domestic surveillance and privacy concerns and implications for international law and human rights.

Both Kinane and Tiffany have served federal prison time for their nonviolent civil defiance against the Pentagon’s School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Ga. Tiffany spearheaded an effort to have the City Council pass a resolution banning the use of drones without warrants in the skies of Syracuse.

The James Sherman Society was named in honor of a distinguished former vice president of the United States who was a native Utican. The society sponsors lectures, discussions and acts as an advisory group to the government and politics faculty in planning and evaluating the government and politics major program.

The Utica College National Political Science Honor Society is a chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, which is the only honor society for college students of political science and government in the United States. Pi Sigma Alpha is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and is designated as a “Specialized, Upper-Division” society by ACHS.

The Pi Sigma Alpha “Conversation Series” allows students, faculty and the community exchange ideas about important public policy issues and promote civic engagement and discourse on public policy, politics and government.

About Utica College – Utica College, founded in 1946, is a comprehensive private institution offering bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. The College, located in upstate central New York, approximately 90 miles west of Albany and 50 miles east of Syracuse, currently enrolls over 4,000 students in 36 undergraduate majors, 27 minors, 21 graduate programs and a number of pre-professional and special programs

NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK CITIZENS IN ACTION, INC. (ESTABLISHED IN 1997)

HEADLINES

SUPPORT NO NEW CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR UTICA PETITION

UTICA COLLEGE TO HOST COMMUNITY FORUM ON DRONES

WFP RESPONDS TO STATE BUDGET

PLEASE ADVOCATE FOR SANE AND PROGRESSIVE TRANSPORTATION POLICIES

MAYOR PALMIERI ANNOUNCES AVAILABLE SUMMER JOBS AT THE CITY OF UTICA YOUTH BUREAU

COMMUNITY EVENTS

SUPPORT NO NEW CHARTER SCHOOLS FOR UTICA PETITION

We are urging local citizens to sign and distribute the following petition to stop new charter schools in Utica. Please call or email to get copies of the petition (315-725-0974/cnycitizenaction@gmail.com).

Regents Chancellor Dr. Merryl H. Tisch and members of the Board of Regents:

As a stakeholder in the success of students enrolled in the Utica City School District, I/We the undersigned are concerned about recent developments in the school district, which include continuing operating deficits, rising enrollments and class sizes, the reduction of professional staff, and an increasing number of ESL and special needs students, and students from households in poverty.

I/We are also concerned that an existing charter school, the Utica Academy of Science now receives over $1.5 million in state aid from the district.

I/We therefore stand in opposition to the planned application from the Mohawk Valley Community Charter School Initiative for a Kindergarten through fifth grade school in Utica. Were it to be approved, this plan will result in a sizeable loss of funding to the Utica City School District, at a time when the district cannot afford the loss of much-needed state aid.

I/We respectfully urge you to place this and any other proposals for Charter Schools in Utica on hold, and to instead work with us on ways to provide the Utica City School District the resources it needs to prepare our young people to succeed in our 21st Century economy.

UTICA COLLEGE TO HOST COMMUNITY FORUM ON DRONES

DISCUSSION ON DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL USES

Utica College’s Pi Sigma Alpha will sponsor a forum on “The Drones Are Coming: Why Central New York Should Care.” The event will take place on Wednesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. at Utica College in the Willard Conference Room, DePerno Hall. It is a part of Pi Sigma Alpha “Conversation Series” which allows students, faculty and the community to discuss and exchange ideas about important public policy issues. It is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

The keynote speakers will be Upstate Drone Action activists Ed Kinane and Ann Tiffany. They will speak about both the domestic and international aspects of the use of drones. The forum will focus on use of drones across the world by the U.S. military, significant civilian casualties resulting from drone attacks, domestic surveillance and privacy concerns, and implications for international law and human rights.

In Central New York, drones have captured recent media attention. The Federal Aviation Administration announced in December that a group at Griffiss International Airport in Rome has been awarded one of six licenses nationwide for commercial drone testing. It is anticipated that about 500 jobs may be created at the drone testing site.

In December 2013, the Syracuse Common Council unanimously passed a resolution banning drones for surveillance until national, state, and local regulations are in place that protect privacy rights. The resolution emerged out of concerns about the use of drone surveillance and crowd control technology by intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

Since 2009 long-time peace and justice activists Ed Kinane and Ann Tiffany have been working with the Syracuse Peace Council and Upstate Drone Action to educate the public about the weaponized Reaper drones at Hancock Air Base on the outskirts of Syracuse. Their nonviolent campaign has entailed scores of arrests, trials, and incarcerations.

Hancock, the home of the 174th Attack Wing of the NYS Air National Guard, trains Reaper pilots and maintenance technicians. The Hancock Reapers are robotic aircraft equipped with Hellfire missiles and 500-pound bombs. Piloted remotely over Afghanistan, they lead to many casualties and possible violations of international law.

Kinane formerly worked on Wall Street and taught high school and college. Over several years in the eighties, he hitchhiked throughout much of Africa. In the late eighties and early nineties, he worked with Peace Brigades International on accompaniment teams in Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti, and Sri Lanka. Since the mid-nineties, Kinane has been active opposing the Pentagon’s School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, GA. His persistent nonviolent civil defiance there resulted in two federal prison terms. In 2003, Kinane spent five months with Voices in the Wilderness in Baghdad – before, during and after ‘shock and awe.’ Currently, Kinane works to raise consciousness about the hunter/killer reaper drone, also based in Syracuse. Several of Ed’s articles are posted at http://www.vcnv.org.

Ann Tiffany is a retired public health nurse. In the eighties Ann plunged into the local Sanctuary movement providing hospitality and clandestinely transporting Salvadoran and Guatemalan undocumented refugees to Canada. With her eyes opened to US foreign policy, Tiffany joined the Syracuse Peace Council and their anti-militarism work in the 90’s. During those years the effort to close the School of the Americas led to six months in Federal Prison for nonviolent resistance at Ft Benning, Georgia and spending time in Haiti providing protective accompaniment to targeted Haitians in the face of death squads. Being a member of the SPC steering committee during the early years of the Iraq war helped her to understand the value of resistance and being on the streets to share the concerns of the antiwar community. Since 2009 Tiffany has participated in civil resistance at Hancock Air Base and supports others doing so. She spearheaded the effort to have a City Council resolution banning the use of drones without warrants in the skies of Syracuse. It passed unanimously in December, 2013.

The Utica College National Political Science Honor Society is a chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, which is the only honor society for college students of political science and government in the United States. Pi Sigma Alpha is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and is designated as a “Specialized, Upper- Division” society by ACHS. The purpose of the Conversation Series is to promote civic engagement and discourse on public policy, politics, and government.

For more information on the forum, contact John Furman at 315-725-0974.

WFP RESPONDS TO STATE BUDGET

This afternoon, Working Families Party State Director Bill Lipton released this statement in response to the 2014-2015 budget:

“Today’s budget enriches the 1% and Wall Street corporations. It misses a chance to put forth a progressive vision, and serves only to increase political and economic inequality. Cutting taxes for Wall Street banks by two hundred fifty million dollars, a reduction in the corporate tax rate, and changes in the estate tax will cost New Yorkers nearly a billion dollars every year.

We applaud Speaker Silver and leaders in Albany, however, for fighting for more education funding, expanding pre-K statewide and working with Mayor de Blasio to provide funding for universal pre-K in New York City. Unfortunately, the budget also gives unfair advantages to charter schools at the expense of our public school system.

Perhaps the greatest disappointment is Governor Cuomo and the Senate Majority Coalition’s failure to pass a robust, statewide system of public financing of elections. This is a lost opportunity to fix a broken political system. Without a serious effort to change the culture of pay-to-play politics, our state government threatens to be mired in corruption and citizens will continue to be cynical about how our democracy actually functions.

The citizens of New York deserve better. We will continue to work for a democracy and economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.”

The Working Families Party is New York’s grassroots progressive political party. WFP has won statewide increases in the minimum wage, a landmark green jobs program, and reforms to the state’s Rockefeller drug laws. In New York City, the WFP recently won a three-year long campaign for paid sick days; the Council has passed a bill that will guarantee paid sick days to an estimated one million New Yorkers.

PLEASE ADVOCATE FOR SANE AND PROGRESSIVE TRANSPORTATION POLICIES

Central New York has the opportunity to fund and implement smart growth policies that will save money and enhance economic competitiveness. These same policies will reduce the financial strain on and educated workforce, and create a shared and sustainable prosperity for all county residents. We must make sure that new development in Marcy promotes smart growth and does not hurt existing cities, villages, and towns.

The Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc. is asking for your help to advocate for transportation policies that support smart growth, urbanist design principles, green infrastructure, friendly bicycle and pedestrian principles.

We believe that local government should implement urban design policies to ensure transit- and pedestrian oriented building and neighborhood design to include the following

Target public investment to existing transportation network and address backlog in road repair and maintenance.

Adequately fund local transit services. The county lacks sufficient funding for a high quality bus
system.

Direct development to existing vacant and underutilized sites in Utica, Rome, Herkimer, and Oneida.

Do not expand roads and infrastructure to new areas at the expense of existing municipalities.

Ensure that sewer and water capacity is sufficient in existing communities and target investment to renewing aging sewer infrastructure in need of repair and reconstruction.

Adopt complete and green streets standards to ensure walking and bicycling can become safe and convenient modes of travel, while reducing polluted runoff. Street design standards should provide sidewalks, bicycle facilities, narrowed crossing distances\and travel lane widths, and other low-speed design features to increase the safety andattractiveness of walking and bicycling.

Adopt minimum multiple street connectivity standards for any major development or subdivision connected to state or county roads. Local street connectivity is essential to reducing traffic andproviding shorter travel routes.

Incorporate adequate pedestrian and bikeway facilities standards as a part of all development review, and require all developers to construct such facilities in and around the area of their development

Please support smart growth by participating in the Transportation Study Survey. The Herkimer-Oneida Counties Transportation Study (HOCTS) is responsible for developing and updating the 20-year Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) for Herkimer and Oneida Counties. The plan identifies transportation needs, outlines goals and objectives and makes recommendations for transportation improvements.

MAYOR PALMIERI ANNOUNCES AVAILABLE SUMMER JOBS AT THE CITY OF UTICA YOUTH BUREAU

Mayor Robert Palmieri today announced that summer positions are available at the City of Utica Youth Bureau.

The positions include playground supervisor, and lifeguards, checkers, assistant managers and security for City pools. In addition, summer tutoring positions are also available.

All applicants must be a resident of the City and be the age of 16 by June 30th. All applicants that worked for the Youth Bureau last year must submit a new application and go through the hiring process.

“In working with the Common Council, we have been able to offer summer job opportunities to our youth,” Mayor Robert Palmieri said. “These positions offer great life experience for our young residents, and I encourage all our youth to apply.”

If anyone has any questions they can contact the City of Utica Youth Bureau at 315-223-4320.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Mayor Palmieri’s Benefit Gala 4/5/14

Mayor Palmieri’s Benefit Gala wjill take place on Saturday, April 5th from 6 -11 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 200 Genesee St. The cost is $50 per ticket. This year’s recipient of the Mayors Gala will be the YWCA of the Mohawk Valley and the proceeds raised will fund their domestic and sexual violence programs. Individuals who are interested in attending can call the YWCA
(315) 732-2159 to reserve their ticket. For further information please visithttp://www.UticaMayorsBenefitGala.com.

Award-winning film about surfers who take action to protect dolphins, whales and porpoises

WHEN: Tues. May 6 at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse (for directions, 492-1727)
WHAT: Award-winning film about surfers who take action to protect dolphins, whales and porpoises
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Sponsored by People for Animal Rights, P.O. Box 15358, Syracuse 13215-0358, 488-PURR,LDESTEFANO3@twcny.rr.com, peopleforanimalrightsofcny.org